Newsletter: Are Partnerships That Drive Sales a Blessing or a Curse? 🤬 ; 9 Sales Trends to Watch for in 2023 🤝 ; Should You Dump Twitter for Mastodon? 🐘
FACT: I have yet to meet a partnership professional that didn't salivate at the prospect of getting ACTUAL PROOF that a nonprofit partnership helped a company sell more stuff.
Everyone wants this!
When I'm writing partnership case studies, most nonprofits request: "Can you ask if the partnership has helped them sell more XYZ?"
I get the desire to want to know. I really do.
But I've concluded that you may not want to know the answer for two important reasons.
1️⃣ Based on my own experience asking many, many corporate partners this very question, 95% of the time the answer will be a hard NO (or a I don't kNOw).
So why even ask the question when you probably already know the answer? Plus, you run the risk of planting a seed with the partner that your partnership should be driving sales - and it's not.
A better approach may be to focus on all the other more common partnership benefits beyond direct sales (e.g. inspired employees, loyal customers, enhanced reputation, etc.).
Then if the partner brings up increased sales you can say...
"That's great! In addition to all the other benefits of the partnership, it also drove sales!"
2️⃣ Let's say that you do have a partner than can brag, "Yes, the partnership drove sales."
This is great news...or is it?
Aren't you just setting a sales quota for yourself that you'll have to meet (or exceed) next year???
The bottom-line is that when you talk sales numbers you're putting a target on your back.
I don't know about you, but that's not the kind of relationship I would want with my corporate partners.
Another downside is that you'll rush to tell potential partners that XYZ company had an increase in sales because of your partnership. "Really?!" they'll say. "We want to partner with you so we can see an increase in sales."
But isn't it more likely this company will be among the 95% of companies that see NO increase in sales??? 😬 When they don't see more sales, what will they do?
My advice: With existing partners, acknowledge but downplay sales success. With potential partners, steer clear of promising them increased sales. Whether they see an increase or not, you're bound to fall short in the long run.
✍️ Partnership Notes
1. Are you sharpening your sales skills for the new year? Here are nine sales trends to watch for in 2023. #1: Sell the problem, not the solution.
2. Wendy's raised $8.2 million selling coupon books in its restaurants during September and October. That's pretty good! They didn't even pay for the coupon books. For every dollar collected, Wendy's donated 85 cents to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
🤑 Marketing Your Cause
1. I'm still on Twitter, but I've been exploring Mastodon 🐘 a bit. Interested in exploring with me? A helpful article on how to switch to Mastodon .
2. Research on the power of evoking fond memories in your marketing. I made a similar point in September in my post on What's your pumpkin spice partnership strategy?
3. Bad writing is costing your nonprofit a ton of money. I can help! Just hit reply to this email and we can discuss my writing services.
😎 Cool Jobs in Cause
1. Corporate Partnership Manager, buildOn, Remote ($65k - $75k)
2. Director, Corporate & Cause Marketing, American Humane, Washington, D.C.
3. Corporate Account Manager, National MS Society, Remote ($47k - $57k)
4. National Manager, Partner Relationships, JDRF International, Houston ($72k - $96k)
5. Associate Director, Corporate Giving, Children's Hospital Foundation, Pittsburgh
🧠🍌 Brain Food
1. How Hollywood’s favorite charity went broke. Tough times for the The Motion Picture & Television Fund.
2. Should businesses give their nonprofit clients a discount. This guy doesn't think so. Enlightened businessman or selfish bastard? You decide!
3. This writer thinks that life would be better if we all added his line to every email. I know my life would be better if every email I got said "We've submitted your invoice for payment."
